Have you ever wondered what it would be like to swim with a pod of Humpback Whales? Thanks to the Blake Trust, our Year 8 learners were lucky enough to have an underwater virtual reality experience which included swimming with dolphins, stingray, schools of snapper, and even the elusive Humpback Whale. Most of the footage was filmed in our own underwater backyard - the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. The Blake Trust’s friendly instructors showed us footage of healthy and unhealthy Tīkapa Moana underwater habitats and how overfishing and pollution has created Kina barrens, which are not ideal ecosystems. Our Year 8’s enthusiastically brainstormed ways we can keep our Tīkapa Moana healthy, so that we can enjoy it for generations to come.

Teresa Winstone
Head of Junior Science